Racial inequality persists in U.S.: report

"It's bad news, because more black high school graduates are putting off college. That's when you get into trouble with teen pregnancies and crime. People end up putting their dreams on hold," Seybert said.

But on at least one measure the disparities eased. The average length of prison sentences narrowed in this year's report to 40 months for a black person and 37 months for a white person, across all crimes. Last year it was 44 months for a black person and 34 months for a white person.

(Editing by Patricia Zengerle)